Where to get reputable jaw slimming botox in Ho Chi Minh City? How long until it looks slimmer, what to avoid afterwards and how to choose

To get jaw slimming botox (masseter botox) safely in Ho Chi Minh City, choose a place that meets three conditions at once. The facility holds a licence from the Department of Health, the person holding the needle is a doctor with a practising certificate, and the product box is opened right in front of you. BonBoz Clinic (66–68 Võ Văn Tần, Xuân Hòa Ward, the former District 3) operates under licences 11113/HCM-GPHĐ (dermatology) and 10036/HCM-GPHĐ (aesthetics), issued by the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health. Dr. Bùi Thị Kim Kha, a first-level specialist in dermatology (practising certificate 009784/ĐL-CCHN), personally examines the masseter muscle and performs the injection.

This article gathers the questions clients ask most often before and after jaw-slimming botox. They cover whether to have it at a clinic or a hospital, what the consultation involves, how long until the jaw looks slimmer and how long the effect lasts, how long recovery takes, what to avoid, when to go back to the doctor, whether repeated injections are a problem, and where to find prices.

Short answer: according to the studies cited at the end of this article, the masseter muscle usually looks slimmest at around month 3. The effect of a single injection usually lasts 6–12 months, varying from person to person. Almost no downtime is needed. For the first 24 hours, do not touch or massage the injection area and do not bend your head down low. For the first 3 days, avoid steam rooms.

The question "will my face look smaller after the injection" already has its own article: Does jaw-slimming botox make everyone's face smaller? This article does not repeat that part.

What does jaw-slimming botox involve, and who should consider it?

Jaw-slimming botox means injecting botulinum toxin type A into the masseter muscle. This is the chewing muscle on both sides of the jaw angle, and it stands out when you clench your teeth. The toxin reduces the muscle's contraction for a period of time. The muscle works less and gradually thins, so the jaw angle looks less prominent. The toxin does not act on the jawbone or the fat under the skin. The mechanism, other injection areas and the groups of people who should not have the injection are covered in full on the page about botox (botulinum toxin) injection.

Botulinum toxin is a prescription drug, not a cosmetic product. So the question "where should I have it done" is really a question of which places are permitted to use this drug, who is permitted to determine the dose, and who is responsible if an adverse reaction occurs.

People a doctor may consider for jaw slimming are adults with a wide jaw angle, where the examination shows the width is mainly due to a thick masseter muscle. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a neuromuscular disease, have a skin infection in the injection area, or take certain medications that affect neuromuscular transmission, tell your doctor beforehand. The injection may not be suitable for you.

Where to get reputable jaw-slimming botox in Ho Chi Minh City? Five questions to ask before booking

"Reputable" sounds vague, but it can be checked against documents. Before sitting in the injection chair, wherever it is, you can ask these five questions:

1. 1Does the facility have a licence for medical examination and treatment, what is the number, and which authority issued it? The licence number can be looked up on the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health lookup portal (tracuu.medinet.org.vn). The address you visit must match the address on the licence.
2. 2Who will personally inject me, and what is their practising certificate number? Ask for the name of the person holding the needle, not just the person giving the consultation. Practising certificate numbers can also be looked up on the Department of Health portal.
3. 3What is the drug called, and what is its registration number? Botulinum toxin is a drug, so it must have a registration number that can be looked up on the public service portal of the Drug Administration of Vietnam (dichvucong.dav.gov.vn).
4. 4Can I see the sealed box, the lot number and the expiry date before it is opened? A place that does things properly will not mind this question.
5. 5If there is a problem after the injection, whom do I contact, and when is my follow-up? A place with a follow-up process will answer right away and give you a specific phone number.

These five questions are not a formality. In 2024, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a health alert about a cluster of 22 people in 11 states. They had adverse reactions after botulinum toxin injections suspected to be counterfeit or improperly stored. All were injected by people without a licence or without training, or in non-medical settings such as homes and spas. 11 people were hospitalised. The CDC recommends receiving only licensed products, administered by licensed individuals, at licensed facilities.

At BonBoz, the clinic publishes its drug procedure as follows. The clinic uses genuine imported botulinum toxin (botox) from Korea, with labels and certificates. Clients inspect and unseal the box themselves before the injection. Details on checking each element of the box are on the page genuine filler and botox: how to check.

If you want to compare several licensed places at once, see the cross-check table of 8 licensed botox and filler facilities in Ho Chi Minh City. The table lists published licence numbers and addresses and does not rank the facilities.

Is jaw-slimming botox better at a clinic or a hospital?

There is no answer such as "a clinic is always better" or "a hospital is always better". Both specialty clinics and hospitals may inject botulinum toxin if their licence covers the relevant specialty and the person injecting holds a practising certificate in the right specialty. What determines the safety of a jaw-slimming injection is:

• Licence scope: whether the facility is licensed for dermatology or aesthetics, and whether this injection technique is in its approved list.
• The person injecting: whether the doctor examines the masseter muscle before injecting and asks about your medical history and current medications.
• The drug: whether it has a registration number, is sealed, and you can see it before it is opened.
• Follow-up: whether there is a re-evaluation appointment and someone to answer when you are worried.

A hospital has the advantage when you have an underlying condition that needs several specialties working together. A specialty clinic usually has the advantage that the person who examines you, the person who injects you and the person who sees you for follow-up are the same doctor. If you are considering a particular hospital or system, apply the same five questions from the section above to that place. This article does not evaluate other facilities.

What does a jaw-slimming session at BonBoz involve?

A jaw-slimming session at the clinic usually follows these steps:

1. 1Masseter examination. The doctor palpates the muscle while you relax and while you clench your teeth, checks whether the two sides are symmetrical, and asks about teeth grinding and chewing on one side. The aim is to distinguish a wide jaw angle caused by muscle from one caused by other factors.
2. 2Medical history. Neuromuscular disease, pregnancy, breastfeeding, current medications, and where and at what dose you had your most recent botox injection, if you remember.
3. 3Quote after examination. The dose and number of injection points are determined by the doctor for each person, so the price is confirmed only after the examination. Once the doctor has given you the quote in person, the clinic adds no extra charges.
4. 4Checking the box. You look at the label, lot number and expiry date, then unseal the box yourself.
5. 5Injection. The doctor marks the injection area within the limits of the masseter muscle, injects with a fine needle, and applies gentle pressure to stop bleeding. You go home the same day.
6. 6Aftercare instructions and re-evaluation. You receive aftercare instructions and an appointment to re-evaluate your response. If you have questions in between, contact the clinic directly.

A 2022 systematic review in the Journal of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery pooled 28 studies with 748 people injected in the masseter. It showed that the number of injection points varied widely between centres (from 1 to 6 per side). There was not enough evidence to say any approach is superior. So if someone claims an "exclusive technique with guaranteed results", you should ask which study it is based on.

Timeline after jaw-slimming botox: when it looks slimmer, how long it lasts, when to inject again

Unlike injections in the forehead, the masseter is a large muscle, so the jaw does not look slimmer after just a few days. The toxin first reduces the muscle's contraction, and only then does the muscle gradually thin over several weeks. The table below summarises the milestones commonly described in the medical literature. Actual timing differs from person to person.

Two points about this table need to be clear. First, these are ranges recorded in studies, not a promise for any individual. Second, the quality of the evidence is limited. A 2013 Cochrane review found no eligible randomised controlled trials of botulinum toxin injection for masseter hypertrophy. The review by Rauso et al. (2022) also assessed the studies as having a high risk of bias.

How long does jaw-slimming botox last before it wears off?

Clients often ask "how long until it dissolves", but botulinum toxin does not "dissolve" like filler. The toxin binds to nerve endings, and its contraction-reducing effect fades as the nerve restores signal transmission. So the better question is "how long until the muscle works again". According to a 2022 review in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, the effect of a single injection usually lasts 6–12 months. In the one-year follow-up study by Ågren et al., bite force dropped clearly at month 3 and no longer differed significantly at month 6.

How long is recovery after jaw-slimming botox? Common reactions

Jaw slimming needs almost no downtime: you can go to work or school the same day. The most common reactions are all mild and resolve on their own:

• Redness, mild swelling and tenderness at the injection points for a few hours to a few days.
• Small bruises; according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), bruises usually clear in about a week.
• Jaw fatigue or slight difficulty chewing tough food, and muscle soreness in the injection area. The study by Park et al. (2003) in 45 people recorded this group of reactions, along with some cases of slight difficulty speaking. All were temporary and usually lasted 1–4 weeks.
• Mild headache, uncommon.

More rarely, the toxin can affect neighbouring muscles and temporarily make the smile uneven. This is why the injection points must stay within the limits of the masseter muscle and the injector must understand the anatomy of the lower face.

What to avoid after jaw-slimming botox

Most of the restrictions (things to avoid) after jaw slimming revolve around one goal: keeping the toxin in the muscle that was injected during the first hours. The list below combines the clinic's official botox aftercare instructions with AAD recommendations. If the doctor who injected you advises differently for your situation, follow your doctor.

• First 24 hours: do not touch, rub, press or massage the injection area; do not bend your head down low, do yoga or do headstands. If you apply makeup, dab gently instead of rubbing hard. The AAD also advises not to rub the area just injected.
• Wait at least 2 hours before vigorous exercise, lifting heavy objects or doing workouts that raise your heart rate (per the AAD).
• First 3 days: no steam rooms and no massage of the injection sites (per the clinic's aftercare instructions).
• Food and drink: the sources used in this article do not name any food that must be avoided after jaw-slimming injections. If chewing feels tiring in the first few weeks, you can choose softer foods for comfort. There is no need to follow restrictions passed on by word of mouth.
• Medication: tell your doctor before the injection if you are taking blood thinners or drugs that affect neuromuscular transmission. Do not stop treatment for a medical condition without asking the doctor who prescribed it.
• Do not get further injections elsewhere while waiting for results. Stacking injections without knowing the previous dose is an easy way to cause excessive muscle weakness.

Which signs mean you should see a doctor right after jaw-slimming botox?

The clinic's botox aftercare instructions place the signs in the first two groups below among those you must report to the doctor immediately, without waiting for the re-evaluation appointment.

Go straight to the nearest emergency facility, then inform the doctor who injected you, if you have:

• Difficulty breathing, swallowing or speaking, progressively worsening slurred speech, or muscle weakness spreading far from the injection area. The AAD classes this group of symptoms as very rare but serious, resembling signs of botulism.

Call the doctor who injected you immediately if you have:

• Ptosis (drooping eyelid) or muscle weakness in an area that was not injected.
• Redness, swelling or pain at the injection area that persists instead of gradually easing, or discharge from an injection point.

Contact the doctor soon for a re-examination if:

• Your smile is clearly uneven or you have difficulty closing your lips.
• You have difficulty chewing to the point that it affects your daily eating.

When you call, state clearly the date of injection, the injection area and the name of the drug on the box. This information helps the doctor assess faster, especially if you have been injected in several places.

Is repeated jaw-slimming botox a problem?

The effect of botulinum toxin is temporary, so keeping a slim jaw angle requires repeat injections. The 2022 review in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology also notes that many people need multiple rounds to maintain results. The question is whether repeated injections have any effect. The available data show three things:

• The muscle may become thinner after repeated injections. A study in Korea (Lee et al., 2017) divided 20 people into two groups: one injection, or two injections 4 months apart. After 6 months, the masseter muscle in the two-injection group had decreased more.
• The jaw angle bone may change. In the same study, the width between the two jaw angles did not change significantly. However, the bone volume at the jaw angle decreased more in the two-injection group. A 2024 systematic review in the Journal of Oral Rehabilitation recorded that in humans, the thickness of the mandibular cortical bone decreased by about 6% after injection. No clear change was yet seen in bone volume or density.
• Long-term data are lacking. The 2024 review itself notes that most studies have not followed repeated injection over many years or high doses. It says more rigorous trials are needed.

In addition, the clinic's page on the method mentions a rare risk: the body can form antibodies that reduce the response when injections are too frequent. So instead of injecting on a fixed schedule, the doctor re-evaluates the muscle each time and injects only when the muscle has become active again. Keep a record of the drug name, injection date and place for every session. These are the details the doctor needs to decide whether to inject again.

Where to find jaw-slimming botox prices

BonBoz has a price list displayed at the clinic. For reference price ranges by area, you can see the botox price list by area. The dose and number of injection points vary with each person's muscle thickness. So the doctor gives an individual quote after the examination and before the injection, with no additional charges after the quote has been given.

If you are looking for prices at a particular hospital or aesthetic chain, BonBoz does not publish prices on behalf of other places and does not compare prices with other facilities. The surest way is to ask that place directly and request a written quote stating the drug name, registration number and the person who will inject. An unusually low price that does not come with these three pieces of information is a reason to ask more questions, not a reason to rush to book.

From Binh Thanh, Tan Binh, Go Vap, District 5 and District 10 to the clinic

BonBoz Clinic has only one address in Ho Chi Minh City: 66–68 Võ Văn Tần, Xuân Hòa Ward (the former District 3), Ho Chi Minh City. Clients from Binh Thanh, Tan Binh, Go Vap, District 5, District 10 and other districts all come to this address for examination and injection. The clinic has no branches in those districts.

References

• Kundu N. et al. (2022). Efficacy of botulinum toxin in masseter muscle hypertrophy for lower face contouring. *Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology*. PubMed 35176198
• Rauso R. et al. (2022). Botulinum toxin type A injections for masticatory muscles hypertrophy: a systematic review. *Journal of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery*. PubMed 34620536
• Park M.Y. et al. (2003). Botulinum toxin type A treatment for contouring of the lower face. *Dermatologic Surgery*. PubMed 12752514
• Ågren M. et al. (2023). Duration of bite force reduction following a single injection of botulinum toxin in the masseter muscle bilaterally. *Journal of Oral Rehabilitation*. PubMed 36810787
• Lee H.J. et al. (2017). Repeated injections of botulinum toxin into the masseter muscle induce bony changes in human adults. *Korean Journal of Orthodontics*. PubMed 28670563
• Moussa M.S. et al. (2024). Adverse effect of botulinum toxin-A injections on mandibular bone: a systematic review and meta-analysis. *Journal of Oral Rehabilitation*. PubMed 37668276
• Fedorowicz Z. et al. (2013). Botulinum toxin for masseter hypertrophy. *Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews*. PubMed 24018587
• American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). Botulinum toxin therapy: FAQs
• CDC Health Alert Network (2024). Adverse effects linked to counterfeit or mishandled botulinum toxin injections

Frequently asked questions

Where to get reputable jaw-slimming botox in Ho Chi Minh City?

Choose a facility with an operating licence from the Ministry of Health / Department of Health, where the person injecting is a doctor with a practising certificate, and the drug has a registration number and is opened in front of you. BonBoz Clinic at 66–68 Võ Văn Tần, Xuân Hòa Ward (the former District 3) holds licences 11113/HCM-GPHĐ and 10036/HCM-GPHĐ. Dr. Bùi Thị Kim Kha, a first-level specialist in dermatology, personally examines and injects.

What to avoid after jaw-slimming botox?

For the first 24 hours, do not touch or massage the injection area, bend your head down low or do yoga. For the first 3 days, no steam rooms and no massage of the injection sites. Wait at least 2 hours before vigorous exercise. The sources in this article do not name any food that must be avoided.

How long does jaw-slimming botox last before it wears off?

The toxin does not "dissolve" like filler; its contraction-reducing effect fades as the nerve recovers. Studies record that the jaw usually looks slimmest at around month 3 and that the effect of a single injection usually lasts 6–12 months, varying from person to person.

How long is recovery after jaw-slimming botox?

Almost no downtime is needed. Mild swelling and redness usually clear within a few days, and any bruise usually clears in about a week. A tired feeling when chewing may last a few weeks and then resolve.

Is repeated jaw-slimming botox a problem?

Repeated injections may make the muscle thinner, and one study recorded a greater decrease in jaw angle bone volume in the group injected twice. Long-term data are lacking. The doctor should inject again only when the examination shows the muscle has become active again, not on a fixed schedule.

Should I get jaw-slimming botox at a clinic or a hospital?

Either is fine if the licence covers the relevant specialty, the person injecting is a doctor with a practising certificate, and the drug has a registration number. Check these points at the place you plan to visit, rather than choosing by type of facility.

How much does jaw-slimming botox cost?

The clinic has a displayed price list, and BonBoz's botox cost page gives reference price ranges by area. The doctor gives an individual quote after the examination because the dose varies with each person's muscle. BonBoz does not publish prices on behalf of hospitals or other facilities.

Does jaw-slimming botox make the face smaller?

Only when a wide jaw angle is mainly due to a thick masseter muscle. This is analysed separately in the article "Does jaw-slimming botox make everyone's face smaller?" on the BonBoz blog.

*This article belongs to the Doctors Share section of BonBoz Clinic, updated 11 November 2026. The information in this article is to help you prepare questions before your consultation. The dose, the injection area and whether to have the injection at all are decided by the doctor after a direct examination.*

Content prepared by the professional team at BonBoz Clinic.